New exhibition is a journey into one’s soul

2011-02-15

St. Lawrence College is pleased to present Faces: Beweeen Body and Soul, an exhibition featuring the work of artist painter-sculptor-author Anne-Marie Léveillé-Shields. Her work will be on view at the Marianne van Silfhout Gallery on the Brockville campus from February 24 to March 24, 2011.

This recent collection of contemporary work by Anne-Marie Léveillé-Shields has emerged between the body of the canvas and the soul of the artist. Borne out of her interest to explore human emotions revealed in artwork, the collection wishes to give a voice to the more isolated individuals in our society. The haunting faces on her canvas combined with her unique technique produce work with a most powerful visual impact. The show is a celebration of the broad spectrum of human emotions found in each and everyone of us.

About the Artist
Anne-Marie is a professional artist painter-sculptor and author. She began her training with Esther Wertheimer, painter-sculptor and with Andrei Zadorozny, painter. She pursued her formal art training at l’Ecole des Beaux arts de Montréal and in 1976 she graduated with a Bachelor of fine Arts from Concordia University. John Miller, Guido Molinari and Russell Gordon have been instrumental in her artistic research.

Following a career in education and educational management during which time she always painted, today she is working as a full-time artist. Her Master’s degree in counseling psychology has refocused her thinking toward the need to study human feelings. Indeed, as a stone and mixed media painter and sculptor, she finds in her « wall sculptures » and in the stone means of choice to express the various emotions which she researches in her work.

Her interest in the lives of people has led her to research, write and illustrate a book on the Lost Villages of the St. Lawrence Seaway published in Ontario in 2004. She is delighted to welcome and honour Mr. Jim Brownell, MPP, as Honorary President of her show. Mr. Brownell’s involvement with the Lost Villages Historical Society and his passion for the preservation and promotion of the community's history and heritage has been a source of inspiration for Anne-Marie. Indeed, during his career in education spanning over 32 years, Jim Brownell served as president of the Lost Villages Historical Society and Museum from 1992 to 2003. His election to the Ontario legislature in 2003 and again in 2007 has allowed him to expand his vision further afield.

Recently, with the assistance of a grant Anne-Marie illustrated a book on the history and architectural heritage of Ile Perrot in Québec. She has received a number of awards and recognition for her work which she has been showing for a number of years.

Today, she spends her time working on her numerous projects, exhibiting her work, coaching artists, giving workshops, jurying shows and writing.

About the Art Gallery
The Marianne van Silfhout Gallery is a state-of-the-art community art gallery located at the front atrium of the Brockville campus of St. Lawrence College and is a focus for the visual arts for Brockville and the larger Eastern Ontario area. Creation of the gallery was made possible by the generous bequest from the Estate of Marianne van Silfhout, a graduate of the Fine Art program at St. Lawrence College, and other contributors to the St. Lawrence Foundation.

About St. Lawrence College
Located along the shores of the St. Lawrence River, SLC has three campuses in Brockville, Cornwall and Kingston. St. Lawrence College boasts 6,500 full-time students from Canada, and more than 40 countries worldwide. Our college community includes 20,000 part-time students, 1,000 staff, and more than 70,000 alumni. We also serve more than 3,000 Employment Services clients annually. The college has recently invested in the development of Applied Research with many exciting projects in progress. In addition revitalization of our campuses is underway to support new and innovate new programs including; Wind Turbine Technician, Game Development Technician, and Fine Arts, among others.